![Walter Dewitte](https://profiles-cardiff.imgix.net/attachments/992?w=200&h=200&auto=format&crop=faces&fit=crop&q=90")
Dr Walter Dewitte
Senior Lecturer
- Available for postgraduate supervision
School of Biosciences
Overview
We seek to understand how cell division is integrated with growth and development in plants. The regulation of the cell division is important in every stage of a plants life, and we believe that it is important for correct patterning.
After fertilisation of the egg, the single cell zygote developpes into a patterned multicellular embryo with organised root and shoot meristems. Postembryonically, the pattern of these meristems is maintained by the zonation of cell division activity. This is achieved by a cross talk of the core cell cycle machinery with molecular signalling pathways. Plant growth displays a high degree of plasticity, in which self-organisation leading to the specification of new tissues and even meristems intertwined with the control of cell division is thought to be important. The pathways involved can operate at multiple levels (epigenetic, transcriptional, translational as well as post translational control of activity including protein-protein interactions) and scales (single cells to tissues and organs). Their dynamics can be conceptually integrated into networks. Plant growth regulators, which can act locally but also can be transported, play a key role in the regulation of cell division.
Current topics of interest are:
- Understanding cell cycle regulation in the root meristem
- Tthe role of CYCD3 in shoot regeneration
- The function of D-type cyclins in the stomatal lineage
Experimental strategies include epigenomics, transcriptomics, histology, quantitative confocal imaging including FRET-FLIM. Our research benefits from collaborations with systems biologist and specialists in genomics, mathematical biology, biophotonics and image analysis.
Publication
2024
- Dhorajiwala, R., Beckmann, M., Dewitte, W., Stead, A. D., Devlin, P. F. and Rogers, H. J. 2024. Commercial processing of Oriental lilies affects bud opening and metabolic dynamics. Postharvest Biology and Technology 216, article number: 113063. (10.1016/j.postharvbio.2024.113063)
2022
- Masia, F., Borri, P., Dewitte, W. and Langbein, W. 2022. Unsupervised analysis of FLIM-FRET data. Presented at: 2022 IEEE Photonics Conference (IPC), Vancouver, Canada, 13-17 November. , (10.1109/IPC53466.2022.9975544)
- Masia, F., Dewitte, W., Borri, P. and Langbein, W. 2022. uFLIM - Unsupervised analysis of FLIM-FRET microscopy data. Medical Image Analysis 82, article number: 102579. (10.1016/j.media.2022.102579)
2020
- Rojas, O., Forero, M. G., Menendez, J. M., Jones, A., Dewitte, W. and Murray, J. A. H. 2020. Segmentation of meristem cells by an automated opinion algorithm. Journal of Applied Sciences 10(23), article number: 8523. (10.39390/app10238523)
- He, L., Zhang, F., Wu, X., Hu, Y., Dong, L., Dewitte, W. and Wen, B. 2020. Genome-wide characterization and expression of two-component system genes in cytokinin-regulated gall formation in Zizania latifolia. Plants 9(11), article number: 1409. (10.3390/plants9111409)
2019
- Jones, A. and Dewitte, W. 2019. Cell size and cell cycle progression: the cyclin-dependent kinase link in green algae. Journal of Experimental Botany 70(3), pp. 731-377. (10.1093/jxb/erz008)
- de Graaf, B. H. and Dewitte, W. 2019. Fertilisation and cell cycle in angiosperms. Annual Plant Reviews Online 2019(2) (10.1002/9781119312994.apr0641)
2018
- Weimer, A. K., Matos, J. L., Sharma, N., Patell, F., Murray, J. A. H., Dewitte, W. and Bergmann, D. C. 2018. Lineage- and stage-specific expressed CYCD7;1 coordinates the single symmetric division that creates stomatal guard cells. Development 145, article number: dev160671. (10.1242/dev.160671)
2017
- Jones, A. R., Forero-Vargas, M., Withers, S. P., Smith, R. S., Traas, J., Dewitte, W. and Murray, J. A. H. 2017. Cell-size dependent progression of the cell cycle creates homeostasis and flexibility of plant cell size. Nature Communications 8, article number: 15060. (10.1038/ncomms15060)
2016
- Sornay, E., Dewitte, W. and Murray, J. A. H. 2016. Seed size plasticity in response to embryonic lethality conferred by ectopic CYD activation is dependent on plant architecture. Plant Signaling & Behaviour 11(7), article number: e1192741. (10.1080/15592324.2016.1192741)
2015
- Sornay, E., Forzani, C., Forero-Vargas, M., Dewitte, W. and Murray, J. A. H. 2015. Activation of CYCD7;1 in the central cell and early endosperm overcomes cell-cycle arrest in the Arabidopsis female gametophyte, and promotes early endosperm and embryo development. Plant Journal 84(1), pp. 41-55. (10.1111/tpj.12957)
- Randall, R. et al. 2015. AINTEGUMENTA and the D-type cyclin CYCD3;1 regulate root secondary growth and respond to cytokinins. Biology Open 4, pp. 1229-1236. (10.1242/bio.013128)
- Hronková, M. et al. 2015. Light-induced STOMAGEN-mediated stomatal development in Arabidopsis leaves. Journal of Experimental Botany 66(15), pp. 4621-4630. (10.1093/jxb/erv233)
- Randall, R., Sornay, E., Dewitte, W. and Murray, J. A. H. 2015. AINTEGUMENTA and the D-type cyclin CYCD3;1 independently contribute to petal size control in Arabidopsis: evidence for organ size compensation being an emergent rather than a determined property. Journal of Experimental Botany 66(13), pp. 3991-4000. (10.1093/jxb/erv200)
2014
- Forzani, C., Aichinger, E., Sornay, E., Willemsen, V., Laux, T., Dewitte, W. and Murray, J. A. H. 2014. WOX5 suppresses CYCLIN D activity to establish quiescence at the center of the root stem cell niche. Current Biology 24(16), pp. 1939-1944. (10.1016/j.cub.2014.07.019)
- Scofield, S., Dewitte, W. and Murray, J. A. H. 2014. STM sustains stem cell function in the Arabidopsis shoot apical meristem and controls KNOX gene expression independently of the transcriptional repressor AS1. Plant Signaling and Behavior 9(6), article number: e28934. (10.4161/psb.28934)
2013
- Scofield, S., Dewitte, W., Nieuwland, J. and Murray, J. A. H. 2013. The Arabidopsis homeobox gene SHOOT MERISTEMLESS has cellular and meristem-organisational roles with differential requirements for cytokinin and CYCD3 activity. The Plant Journal 75(1), pp. 53-66. (10.1111/tpj.12198)
2012
- Collins, C., Dewitte, W. and Murray, J. A. H. 2012. D-type cyclins control cell division and developmental rate during Arabidopsis seed development. Journal of Experimental Botany 63(10), pp. 3571-3586. (10.1093/jxb/ers015)
2011
- Sanz, L. et al. 2011. The Arabidopsis D-type cyclin CYCD2;1 and the inhibitor ICK2/KRP2 modulate auxin-induced lateral root formation. The Plant Cell 23(2), pp. 641-660. (10.1105/tpc.110.080002)
- Quelhas, P., Nieuwland, J., Dewitte, W., Mendonça, A. M., Murray, J. A. H. and Campilho, A. 2011. Arabidopsis Thaliana automatic cell file detection and cell length estimation. Lecture Notes on Computer Science 6754, pp. 1-11. (10.1007/978-3-642-21596-4_1)
2010
- Sozzani, R. et al. 2010. Spatiotemporal regulation of cell-cycle genes by SHORTROOT links patterning and growth. Nature 466(7302), pp. 128-132. (10.1038/nature09143)
2009
- Nieuwland, J., Maughan, S., Dewitte, W., Scofield, S., Sanz, L. and Murray, J. A. H. 2009. The D-type cyclin CYCD4;1 modulates lateral root density in Arabidopsis by affecting the basal meristem region. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 106(52), pp. 22528-22533. (10.1073/pnas.0906354106)
2008
- Sanz, L., Dewitte, W., Law, E. and Murray, J. A. H. 2008. Stem cell maintenance and reactivation in lateral root initiation [Abstract]. FEBS Journal 275(S1), pp. 429. (10.1111/j.1742-4658.2008.06448.x)
- Scofield, S., Dewitte, W. and Murray, J. A. H. 2008. A model for Arabidopsis class-1 KNOX gene function. Plant Signaling and Behavior 3(4), pp. 257-259. (10.1111/j.1365-313X.2007.03095.x)
2007
- Scofield, S., Dewitte, W. and Murray, J. A. H. 2007. The KNOX gene SHOOT MERISTEMLESS is required for the development of reproductive meristematic tissues in Arabidopsis. The Plant Journal 50(5), pp. 767-781. (10.1111/j.1365-313X.2007.03095.x)
- Dewitte, W. et al. 2007. Arabidopsis CYCD3 D-type cyclins link cell proliferation and endocycles and are rate-limiting for cytokinin responses. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 104(36), pp. 14537-14542. (10.1073/pnas.0704166104)
2005
- Jager, S., Maughan, S., Dewitte, W., Scofield, S. and Murray, J. A. H. 2005. The developmental context of cell-cycle control in plants. Seminars in Cell and Developmental Biology 16(3), pp. 385-396. (10.1016/j.semcdb.2005.02.004)
- Masubelele, N. H. et al. 2005. D-type cyclins activate division in the root apex to promote seed germination in Arabidopsis. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 102(43), pp. 15694-15699. (10.1073/pnas.0507581102)
2002
- Dewitte, W., Riou-Khamlichi, C., Scofield, S., Healy, J. M. S., Jacqmard, A., Kilby, N. J. and Murray, J. A. H. 2002. Altered cell cycle distribution, hyperplasia, and inhibited differentiation in Arabidopsis caused by the D-type cyclin CYCD3. The Plant Cell 15(1), pp. 79-92. (10.1105/tpc.004838)
Articles
- Dhorajiwala, R., Beckmann, M., Dewitte, W., Stead, A. D., Devlin, P. F. and Rogers, H. J. 2024. Commercial processing of Oriental lilies affects bud opening and metabolic dynamics. Postharvest Biology and Technology 216, article number: 113063. (10.1016/j.postharvbio.2024.113063)
- Masia, F., Dewitte, W., Borri, P. and Langbein, W. 2022. uFLIM - Unsupervised analysis of FLIM-FRET microscopy data. Medical Image Analysis 82, article number: 102579. (10.1016/j.media.2022.102579)
- Rojas, O., Forero, M. G., Menendez, J. M., Jones, A., Dewitte, W. and Murray, J. A. H. 2020. Segmentation of meristem cells by an automated opinion algorithm. Journal of Applied Sciences 10(23), article number: 8523. (10.39390/app10238523)
- He, L., Zhang, F., Wu, X., Hu, Y., Dong, L., Dewitte, W. and Wen, B. 2020. Genome-wide characterization and expression of two-component system genes in cytokinin-regulated gall formation in Zizania latifolia. Plants 9(11), article number: 1409. (10.3390/plants9111409)
- Jones, A. and Dewitte, W. 2019. Cell size and cell cycle progression: the cyclin-dependent kinase link in green algae. Journal of Experimental Botany 70(3), pp. 731-377. (10.1093/jxb/erz008)
- de Graaf, B. H. and Dewitte, W. 2019. Fertilisation and cell cycle in angiosperms. Annual Plant Reviews Online 2019(2) (10.1002/9781119312994.apr0641)
- Weimer, A. K., Matos, J. L., Sharma, N., Patell, F., Murray, J. A. H., Dewitte, W. and Bergmann, D. C. 2018. Lineage- and stage-specific expressed CYCD7;1 coordinates the single symmetric division that creates stomatal guard cells. Development 145, article number: dev160671. (10.1242/dev.160671)
- Jones, A. R., Forero-Vargas, M., Withers, S. P., Smith, R. S., Traas, J., Dewitte, W. and Murray, J. A. H. 2017. Cell-size dependent progression of the cell cycle creates homeostasis and flexibility of plant cell size. Nature Communications 8, article number: 15060. (10.1038/ncomms15060)
- Sornay, E., Dewitte, W. and Murray, J. A. H. 2016. Seed size plasticity in response to embryonic lethality conferred by ectopic CYD activation is dependent on plant architecture. Plant Signaling & Behaviour 11(7), article number: e1192741. (10.1080/15592324.2016.1192741)
- Sornay, E., Forzani, C., Forero-Vargas, M., Dewitte, W. and Murray, J. A. H. 2015. Activation of CYCD7;1 in the central cell and early endosperm overcomes cell-cycle arrest in the Arabidopsis female gametophyte, and promotes early endosperm and embryo development. Plant Journal 84(1), pp. 41-55. (10.1111/tpj.12957)
- Randall, R. et al. 2015. AINTEGUMENTA and the D-type cyclin CYCD3;1 regulate root secondary growth and respond to cytokinins. Biology Open 4, pp. 1229-1236. (10.1242/bio.013128)
- Hronková, M. et al. 2015. Light-induced STOMAGEN-mediated stomatal development in Arabidopsis leaves. Journal of Experimental Botany 66(15), pp. 4621-4630. (10.1093/jxb/erv233)
- Randall, R., Sornay, E., Dewitte, W. and Murray, J. A. H. 2015. AINTEGUMENTA and the D-type cyclin CYCD3;1 independently contribute to petal size control in Arabidopsis: evidence for organ size compensation being an emergent rather than a determined property. Journal of Experimental Botany 66(13), pp. 3991-4000. (10.1093/jxb/erv200)
- Forzani, C., Aichinger, E., Sornay, E., Willemsen, V., Laux, T., Dewitte, W. and Murray, J. A. H. 2014. WOX5 suppresses CYCLIN D activity to establish quiescence at the center of the root stem cell niche. Current Biology 24(16), pp. 1939-1944. (10.1016/j.cub.2014.07.019)
- Scofield, S., Dewitte, W. and Murray, J. A. H. 2014. STM sustains stem cell function in the Arabidopsis shoot apical meristem and controls KNOX gene expression independently of the transcriptional repressor AS1. Plant Signaling and Behavior 9(6), article number: e28934. (10.4161/psb.28934)
- Scofield, S., Dewitte, W., Nieuwland, J. and Murray, J. A. H. 2013. The Arabidopsis homeobox gene SHOOT MERISTEMLESS has cellular and meristem-organisational roles with differential requirements for cytokinin and CYCD3 activity. The Plant Journal 75(1), pp. 53-66. (10.1111/tpj.12198)
- Collins, C., Dewitte, W. and Murray, J. A. H. 2012. D-type cyclins control cell division and developmental rate during Arabidopsis seed development. Journal of Experimental Botany 63(10), pp. 3571-3586. (10.1093/jxb/ers015)
- Sanz, L. et al. 2011. The Arabidopsis D-type cyclin CYCD2;1 and the inhibitor ICK2/KRP2 modulate auxin-induced lateral root formation. The Plant Cell 23(2), pp. 641-660. (10.1105/tpc.110.080002)
- Quelhas, P., Nieuwland, J., Dewitte, W., Mendonça, A. M., Murray, J. A. H. and Campilho, A. 2011. Arabidopsis Thaliana automatic cell file detection and cell length estimation. Lecture Notes on Computer Science 6754, pp. 1-11. (10.1007/978-3-642-21596-4_1)
- Sozzani, R. et al. 2010. Spatiotemporal regulation of cell-cycle genes by SHORTROOT links patterning and growth. Nature 466(7302), pp. 128-132. (10.1038/nature09143)
- Nieuwland, J., Maughan, S., Dewitte, W., Scofield, S., Sanz, L. and Murray, J. A. H. 2009. The D-type cyclin CYCD4;1 modulates lateral root density in Arabidopsis by affecting the basal meristem region. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 106(52), pp. 22528-22533. (10.1073/pnas.0906354106)
- Sanz, L., Dewitte, W., Law, E. and Murray, J. A. H. 2008. Stem cell maintenance and reactivation in lateral root initiation [Abstract]. FEBS Journal 275(S1), pp. 429. (10.1111/j.1742-4658.2008.06448.x)
- Scofield, S., Dewitte, W. and Murray, J. A. H. 2008. A model for Arabidopsis class-1 KNOX gene function. Plant Signaling and Behavior 3(4), pp. 257-259. (10.1111/j.1365-313X.2007.03095.x)
- Scofield, S., Dewitte, W. and Murray, J. A. H. 2007. The KNOX gene SHOOT MERISTEMLESS is required for the development of reproductive meristematic tissues in Arabidopsis. The Plant Journal 50(5), pp. 767-781. (10.1111/j.1365-313X.2007.03095.x)
- Dewitte, W. et al. 2007. Arabidopsis CYCD3 D-type cyclins link cell proliferation and endocycles and are rate-limiting for cytokinin responses. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 104(36), pp. 14537-14542. (10.1073/pnas.0704166104)
- Jager, S., Maughan, S., Dewitte, W., Scofield, S. and Murray, J. A. H. 2005. The developmental context of cell-cycle control in plants. Seminars in Cell and Developmental Biology 16(3), pp. 385-396. (10.1016/j.semcdb.2005.02.004)
- Masubelele, N. H. et al. 2005. D-type cyclins activate division in the root apex to promote seed germination in Arabidopsis. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 102(43), pp. 15694-15699. (10.1073/pnas.0507581102)
- Dewitte, W., Riou-Khamlichi, C., Scofield, S., Healy, J. M. S., Jacqmard, A., Kilby, N. J. and Murray, J. A. H. 2002. Altered cell cycle distribution, hyperplasia, and inhibited differentiation in Arabidopsis caused by the D-type cyclin CYCD3. The Plant Cell 15(1), pp. 79-92. (10.1105/tpc.004838)
Conferences
- Masia, F., Borri, P., Dewitte, W. and Langbein, W. 2022. Unsupervised analysis of FLIM-FRET data. Presented at: 2022 IEEE Photonics Conference (IPC), Vancouver, Canada, 13-17 November. , (10.1109/IPC53466.2022.9975544)
Contact Details
DewitteW@cardiff.ac.uk
+44 29208 74190
Sir Martin Evans Building, Room W3.14, Museum Avenue, Cardiff, CF10 3AX
+44 29208 74190
Sir Martin Evans Building, Room W3.14, Museum Avenue, Cardiff, CF10 3AX
